Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

FL

By staff

Jacksonville, FL – On Saturday, August 15, community members and leaders of Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network (JPSN) rallied to demand an end to the U.S.-Israeli continued murder of Palestinian journalists.

The event was just five days after the anniversary of the martyrdom of Anas Al-Sharif, an award-winning frontline Palestinian journalist. Al-Sharif was murdered by a targeted airstrike on August 10, 2025, by the Israeli occupation forces.

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By Thomas Spiers

Tallahassee, FL – On August 17, the Leon County Commission held a public hearing regarding the proposed Historic Harms amendment to the county charter. From the pressure of about a dozen speakers and the presence of dozens more, the commission voted 5-2 to advance the amendment to the November ballot for all county citizens to vote on. Commissioners Brian Welch and Christian Caban voted against the amendment. 

The Historic Harms amendment, if passed, would require the county to periodically investigate past county policies and determine what kind of harms were caused to certain geographic areas due to those policies.

The state of Florida’s SB 1134, which would end funding opportunities for programs based on diversity, equity, and inclusion or any programs that even seemed that way, was signed by Governor Ron DeSantis this past April. The original language of the Historic Harms amendment drew concerns from the Charter Review Committee and from the county attorney due to potentially coming into conflict with the new law. The amendment was rewritten to fit within these bounds – the new language looks purely at geographic neighborhoods regardless of the demographics of who was affected in those areas. This approach did get at least a tacit approval from the county attorney and did get voted through by the review committee.

Members of the Tallahassee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (TallyAARPR), the Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance (TIRA), Capital Area Justice Ministry, the League of Women Voters, and Tallahassee ALERT, which wrote the amendment, spoke out in favor on Monday.

“I believe there are many communities in Tallahassee that have been left behind, and this amendment is the first step to really looking at the problems with the city and attempting to rectify them,” said Delilah Pierre with the Tallahassee Alliance.

Brandon Beckett with TIRA said, “I think we need to leave it in the people’s hands to address their futures,” adding, “This amendment is addressing community members that have been left behind through the development of Tallahassee.”

Beckett continued, “It’s their community as well. We need to make sure every member of this community feels respected and doesn't feel as if they’re left behind.”

The amendment will now appear on the ballot in the November elections. State Representative Angie Nixon won an upset victory for the Democratic nomination and will appear on the ballot. As well, there are three Tallahassee city commission seats in the runoff election. The Tallahassee Alliance will spread information about the amendment to educate the public and get people to vote in favor of it.

#TallahasseeFL #FL #PeoplesStruggles #InjusticeSystem #HistoricHarms #OppressedNationalities

By Vicky Tong

Tampa, FL – On August 20, community members spoke at a Tampa City Council meeting demanding they pass an ordinance to end ICE cooperation.

The Tampa Police Department and ICE cooperate based on a federal 287(g) agreement. A 287(g) agreement creates a formal partnership that allows ICE to deputize local law enforcement to carry out the duties of federal immigration enforcement officers. 

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By Chris Gibson

Melbourne, Florida protest against attacks on Haitian immigrants.

Melbourne, FL – On Saturday, August 8, over 30 community members from throughout Florida's Space Coast gathered in Melbourn to a protest called by the Space Coast Immigrant Rights Alliance (SCIRA).

Florida contains the highest population of Haitian immigrants of all 50 states, with over 4000 of residing in Brevard County.

Demonstrators gathered in front of the office complex housing the office of Representative Mike Haridopolos, demanding the U.S. government reinstate Temporary Protected Status for Haitian and Syrian immigrants, a policy recently cancelled by the Trump administration as part of its escalating terror campaign against immigrants.

The protest was attended by activists from groups including Brevard Youth for Democracy, Awake Brevard Action Alliance, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization Orlando, all of whom held signs and chanted facing the busy intersection.

Jack Apostos with Brevard Youth Democracy told the crowd “The fight doesn’t end here today and pick up at the next rally; it is 24/7, seven days a week until we win.”

A member of the Space Coast Immigrant Rights Alliance stated, “Haiti, an island nation founded by formerly enslaved Africans, has never seen a day of peace ever since they declared independence in 1804.” He continued, “There must be an end to 287(g) immediately. We cannot allow this constant cycle of abuse. We cannot allow a felon and his masked thugs to hide behind the police department and other local law enforcement entities.”

#MelbourneFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #Haitians

By staff

Tampa protests Trump's attacks on Haitians.

Tampa, FL – On Sunday, August 8,about 20 people came out to downtown Tampa to demand that Trump and ICE stop their attacks on Haitian immigrants, after the revocation of Temporary Protected Status.

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By staff

Jacksonville, FL – On Wednesday, August 5, Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network held their first class in a series of free educational sessions, inspired by the popular education that arose as a form of resistance in the First Intifada.

Approximately 30 community members attended this teach-in to learn about the phases and effects of the First and Second Intifada, and the history of popular education in Palestine, which was necessitated by the closing of schools by Israeli occupying forces.

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By staff

Tampa, FL – Some 50 people gathered in front of Tampa City Hall, Sunday, July 19, to honor the three lives recently stolen from their families and communities by ICE murderers. The protest was organized by the Tampa Immigrants’ Rights Committee (TampaIRC) as a part of the Legalization for All national week of action.

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo from Houston, Texas, and Joan Sebastian Guerrero, from Maine, were gunned down when they were stopped by ICE in their vehicles. ICE claimed both men weaponized their vehicles – the same justification utilized when immigration enforcement killed Renee Good in Minneapolis in January. Videos that surfaced in all three cases contradicted the agency’s account. The other person killed was Juan Jairo Coronilla Duran, a tourist from Mexico, who was hit by a semi-truck as he ran away from ICE in St. Augustine, Florida.

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By Vanessa Christaldi

Orlando, FL – On Saturday, July 18, about 50 members of the Puerto Rican community and allies in Orlando gathered on the corner of Semoran and Curry Ford to demand Puerto Rico’s independence from the U.S., the dissolution of the fiscal oversight and management board, and an end to the United States’ colonial occupation. The rally and march coincided with the annual Marcha Por La Independencia happening in San Juan.

The event was organized by Floriboris – a local group that represents the interests of the Puerto Rican community in Florida and aims to unite Puerto Ricans across the state through culture, education, community-building and action.

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By staff

Orlando, FL – On Tuesday, July 14, a dozen members of the Orlando community gathered at Lake Eola for a vigil marking one month since an officer with the Senatobia Police Department in Mississippi shot and killed one-year-old Kohen Wiley.

The event was organized by Orlando Against Police Crimes to remember Wiley’s life, cut short by police violence, and to echo the family's call for transparency, accountability and justice for their baby boy.

“Wiley never had a chance to grow up to experience any number of things that we all take for granted on a daily basis – never got to form any childhood memories, never got to experience being a kid,” said Richard Thomas, member of Orlando Against Police Crimes.

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By staff

Jacksonville, FL – On July 16, the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA) answered the call for a national week of action set by the Legalization for All Network to demand justice for Lorenzo Salgado-Araujo, a 52 year-old Mexican father who was shot and killed by ICE on July 7 in Houston, Texas. JIRA also called for “Hands off Nadia Topete,” a 21-year-old Chicana immigrant rights activist with Centro Community Service Organization in Los Angeles, who was targeted and subpoenaed by the FBI for her organizing work.

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By Edmund Anglero

Orlando, FL – On July 9, the family of Milagros “Millie” Ortiz, alongside attorney Ben Crump, announced plans to file a $92 million lawsuit following a t-bone collision by an Orlando Police Department officer on January 18, which resulted in her death.

This comes after the state attorney’s office for Orange and Osceola Counties declined to charge the officer responsible with vehicular manslaughter.

“I am here to say that we will not stop saying my grandmother's name, Milagros B. Ortiz, until justice is served,” her granddaughter Ashley Rodriguez said.

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By staff

Jacksonville, FL — On July 11, the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA) held an emergency rally in an area that has been seeing a growing presence of ICE. There were approximately 50 attendees demanding ICE leave their community for good.

When speaking on the extreme increase in ICE activity within Jacksonville, one of JIRA's own members stated, “I mean look around where we’re at, people in this very community have been taken away from their homes, ripped apart from their family and friends. They target our working-class immigrants at our very doorstep, all because they are the most vulnerable. It doesn’t matter to them if your documents are in order, they profile you immediately based off of their notions on what an immigrant looks like.”

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By staff

July 4 protest in Jacksonville, FL.

Jacksonville, FL – While heat warnings shortened celebrations of the 250th July 4, the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network took to the hot Florida pavement to protest U.S. aggression both domestically and abroad, including its support for the genocide in Gaza.

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By Carlos Barreto

Orlando, FL – On the evening of Friday, June 19, around 80 community members gathered from all over Orlando at the intersection of Anderson Street and Division Avenue. They carried signs that read “Defend voting rights” and “Justice for the victims of police crimes” as they marched toward city hall in response to Republican-led attacks on the voting rights of the Black community, as well as demanding community control of the police.

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By staff

Tallahassee, Florida protest against police crimes.

Tallahassee, FL – On June 20, the Tallahassee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (TallyAARPR) held its Angelversary rally and vigil at the Lynching Historical Marker at Cascades Park to honor the lives of those killed by racist violence.

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By Christopher Gibson

Space Coast protest against ICE detention centers.

Cocoa, FL ‒ On June 14, the Space Coast Immigrant Rights Alliance (SCIRA) held a rally in Cocoa, Florida as part of the Legalization 4 All network’s weekend of action against detention centers.

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By Joseph Nohava

Tampa, FL – On a hot and humid Saturday, June 13, a spirited crowd of about 20 people stood outside Tampa’s police headquarters in downtown to demand the release of immigrant detainees from inhumane conditions, an end to Tampa’s collaboration with ICE, and legalization for all.

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By staff

Jacksonville, FL- On June 10, the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network held a press conference before the dismissal of the State Attorney’s Office’s municipal charge against Leah Grady for “resisting an officer without violence.”

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By staff

Jacksonville, FL – Friends, family, and concerned community members gathered at Riverview Park on Saturday, June 6, to honor the life of Rashaud Martin.

The vigil was planned by A Mother’s Cry, a Jacksonville Community Action Committee coalition of family members who have lost their loved ones to police violence.

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By staff

Jacksonville, FL – El 29 de mayo, Miembros de la comunidad protestaron la sentencia grave de Conor Cauley y Leah Grady, dedicándose a seguir la lucha contra sus cargos y exigiendo la liberación de Conor Cauley, que actualmente se mantiene como prisionero político en la Cárcel del Condado Duval.

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